The Enemy of my Enemy
by Anthropos Agnostos
Summary: Goa'uld working alongside human mercenaries and Tok'ra renegades? War makes for strange bedfellows — especially when Qetesh usurps the Supreme System Lord.
1. Prologue

Standard Disclaimer: Do not own the source material, MGM does.

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 **July 29, 2009**

 **Earth**

When Henry Hayes was briefed about the trio of people recovered by _USS Alexandria_ near the North Pole, he thought someone was pulling his leg. Alternative timelines, time travel, alien gods, instantaneous teleportation across the universe through a 'Stargate' - he was honestly impressed that the Chief of Staff could deliver that speech while keeping a straight face.

If only it was a joke.

Dust and plaster fell from the ceiling as the bunker shook violently. Even at this depth the effects of orbital bombardment could be felt acutely. Aids and military personal ran to and fro in an act of organized chaos, passing orders to the troops on the surface while they still could. Not that the troops stood much of a chance: though President Hayes didn't doubt the skills and dedication of America's military there was only so much it could do in the face of craft flying at Mach 15+ or extraterrestrial motherships raining multi-megaton plasma-bolts down to the ground.

Earth's last hope lay with SG-1 - the three strangers from the alternative timeline claimed that the key to defeating the Goa'uld fleet lay on the other side of the Antarctic Stargate. Naturally, the Antarctic Research base was the very first target of the alien attack.

That left only one other, long-shot option. When SG-1 were found in the Arctic the team claimed they arrived there through a Stargate found onboard the _Achilles_ , a U.S. freighter that went missing in the 1930s. Yet once the ship's wreck was searched no such gate was found. And if the U.S. Navy did not find it, someone else might have found it first.

"Listen to me, because I don't think either one of us has much time left," Hayes spoke urgently into the red phone as another blast rocked the Presidential Bunker. "If you have anything, any information that could help…"

A garbled response came through, completely unintelligible.

"Yuri, I can't hear you! What?"

Halfway across the world, a helicopter carried the President of the Russian Federation over the ruins of Moscow. With its escorts gone, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft at rooftop height, keeping his distance from the Death Gliders and MiG fighters battling above for air supremacy. With a shaking hand, Yuri wiped away sweat from his bald brow as he stared through the chopper's porthole at the burning remains of his city.

"We found it," the Russian repeated over the din of the helicopter blades. "An artifact like the one you described from Antarctica. You called yours _Stargate,_ we called ours _Anchor._ We found it on the seabed while tailing one of your subs in the Arctic Ocean!"

The phone line went silent for a moment before Hayes replied excitedly "You've also discovered an artifact? Where is it located?"

"It's in Mu-" the Russian leader was abruptly cut off as alarms blared and his transport spun out of control. A Death Glider's plasma-shot blew away the helicopter's tail and, though the durability and ruggedness of the Mi-8 was legendary, it was still a slave to physics. Without a rear rotor the chopper spiraled downward, plummeting to the ground in a matter of seconds. The fuel ignited easily upon impact, swallowing the aircraft in a blazing inferno.

Yuri died instantly. Henry Hayes' hopes died with him

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 **Praxyon**

She could tell it was Ba'al's work from the moment she saw it. A three-pronged platform suspended in the middle of a bottomless shaft. A Stargate, a ring-platform and a control panel each located at one of the three ends. Simple, drab, utilitarian and lacking any regalia or decoration worthy of a god. Yet it was with this device that Ba'al was able to bend the universe to his will.

A swarm of satellites permeated the galaxy, collecting data on solar emissions throughout known space. The information from the swarm flowed back here to Praxyon where astonishingly-powerful computers calculated stellar wind speeds, quantum foam fluctuations and wormhole stability – each bit of information needed to perform controlled time-travel.

Ba'al truly was a genius, possessing the ability to see things in a way others couldn't. Only he could have devised a way to turn a flaw in the Gatebuilder's technology into something that could rewrite history itself.

Yet for all his brilliance, Qetesh knew that her Sovereign was not without flaws. His keen mind was meticulous and calculating to the point of cowardice: Ba'al would scheme and prepare for years, working and reworking his plans until every possibility and outcome was accounted for. Naturally, bolder Goa'uld could make their moves and attain fortunes in a fraction of the time it took Ba'al to simply devise a strategy. Were it not for the foresight gained by time-travel, Qetesh suspected her 'Lord' would still dwell in the lower-rungs of the Goa'uld hierarchy. What's more, by occupying himself with endless subterfuge and distant plans Ba'al could be oblivious to dangers close at hand. He did not consider her a threat until she plunged her sword through his back and forced him to give up his secrets.

Qetesh did not plan on making the same mistakes as Ba'al. Why retreat mere decades back into the past? Why not return to the first days of the Goa'uld Empire and take Ra's place? Why not go back even further and turn the Gatebuilders themselves into your slaves? The Goa'uld queen smirked as she recalled how the Sovereign squirmed on her shikra-blade while explaining the dangers of the device through a Tau'ri expression about butterflies & hurricanes.

What kind of god fears weather or insects anyway?

Ordering her personal guard to keep watch over the Stargate and the rings, Qetesh approached the Praxyon controls. No sooner did she touch the console then a light flashed behind her. Turning quickly, she was shocked to see Ba'al standing alive and well beside her. The feeling quickly subsided however as she realized it was only a pre-recorded, holographic message.

" _Congratulations Qetesh_ ," the hologram smirked. " _I'm impressed – really, I am_."

Realizing it posed no threat, the Goa'uld Queen payed the recording no mind and returned to the controls. Oblivious, the hologram continued its monologue.

" _You've discovered the secret of my rise to power – a secret I would never impart to the likes of you. So it would seem you have found a way to... loosen my lips. I suppose by now you have taken power and I am either deposed, slayed or imprisoned. -_ "

Qetesh sighed, remarking dryly "Truly, even in death your intellect has no equals."

" _\- But did you really think my machine could be used by just anyone who finds it?_ "

Suddenly, the computer stopped responding to commands. Display screens, previously filled with star-charts & chronographs, now showed an ominous red countdown.

Qetesh's eyes widened in panic. The only warning her warriors got was a "Jaffa kree!" she yelled as she dashed for the rings with every ounce of her enhanced strength, knocking any guard unlucky enough to be in her way into the chasm below.

The rings deposed her back onboard the orbiting flagship just in time to witness the explosion blossom across the planet. All that remained of the Praxyon time-machine was a sea of slag and molten rock.

Around her, Jaffa were asking for her orders yet Qetesh could not hear them. All she heard was the final, self-satisfied laugh of the Ba'al-hologram.


	2. Chapter 1: The Enemy of my Enemy

**Years later...**

 **Netu**

The Goa'uld strode briskly through the prison, wishing to end the ordeal as quickly as possible. Being the first of his race to walk on Netu since the Lucian takeover, he was neither intimidated by the penal colony's reputation nor disgusted by the dead Jaffa still littering the halls. He wasn't even deterred by the hate-filled looks the human soldiers gave him as he passed. No, what bothered him was the loss of his status – before the mere thought of cooperating with human mercenaries and smugglers, that half-tamed cattle that existed on the fringes of Goa'uld space, would have revolted him. Yet the war with Ba'al had consumed his territories and Qetesh's coup has sent new waves of upheaval through the galaxy. Nowadays, he had to work with anyone that shared his goals. Even the likes of Commander Kiva.

"The Tok'Ra's intel was useless. This place is nothing like it was when Bynarr was in charge." Kiva said, walking beside the Goa'uld. "I lost many good men trying to locate him. I hope this is really worth it – otherwise our little... arrangement... will be terminated. Perhaps I'll even cash in on that bounty the System Lords put on you to recuperate some of my losses."

The alien closed his eyes and reminded himself of all the ways he would punish this upstart slave once he regained his power. Hiding any signs of his inward rage, the Goa'uld simply responded: " **I am a god, commander. If I say that this man is the key to our victory than it is the divine truth. And you would be wise to remember that betraying me will cost you far more than a few men. My worshipers may have grown fewer in number but those that remain are more loyal than ever. They would not hesitate to avenge me.** "

Kiva frowned but did not call his bluff. The truth was that if he was half as sure in his Jaffa's skill & loyalty as he boasted than he would not have needed the Lucian's help in the first place.

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The prize was hidden, isolated from the other inmates. It was by chance that the Lucian troops stumbled upon the small, hidden cell behind a false wall in one of the dungeons. By the time Kiva and her partner arrived on the scene the third member of their unlikely alliance was already tending to the unfortunate captive. The blond-haired woman ran a healing device over the prisoner's bruises, her simple beige leather uniform marking her apart from both the black-clad Lucians as well as the garish & bejeweled Goa'uld.

" **Is it him?** " the former System Lord asked the Tok'Ra impatiently.

The woman broke off her work and nodded reluctantly. " **Qetesh had tattooed her mark on all high-ranking Tau'ri prisoners.** " She gestured to a sigil on the man's neck. " **The ink used is unique to each rebel and my sources provided a sample of the dye used on one of the uprising's leaders. It is a perfect match.** "

The deity beamed and even the stoic Kiva gave a small smile at the news. "Once again Jolinar, you prove your usefulness" he remarked, much to the discomfort of the Tok'Ra. The new system of alliances disgusted Jolinar even more than it did her current "associates", yet she could do nothing about it. Given how few Tok'Ra remained, compromises became inevitable and lines were crossed just to stave off extinction. Deals were struck. Moral concerns were swept aside. Former enemies had become partners. All culminating in her accepting praise from the son of one of her oldest enemies. It was only Rosha's calming influence that prevented her from killing the System Lord here and now, consequences be damned.

The godling turned his attention to the captive. Though filthy and ragged, he seemed to come from a well-groomed human stock. Indeed, even with the prisoner's face hidden by a burlap sack, the Goa'uld guessed he would make a fine host were it not for one glaring imperfection: the man's left leg was completely missing below the knee, forcing him to hang from the chains on his wrists. It was clear now why Qetesh tried to break him for so long instead of implanting him with her young. The spawn of the Supreme System Lord wouldn't degrade themselves by inhabiting such a damaged body.

" **So, this is the famed Daniel Jackson of the Tau'ri?** " the Goa'uld scoffed. " **Qetesh is a bigger fool than I thought if she is troubled by a rebellion raised up by a crippled slave.** "

The prisoner gave an exaggerated sigh. "Look, I'll tell you the same thing I told her: torture me all you want, I won't tell you anything. Unless of course you want to know about the early settlements of Mesopotamia – I am somewhat of an expert in that field."

"I think we can come to a better arrangement," Kiva interjected. "You wish to free your world from Qetesh? We wish to break her control over the galaxy. There is much we can offer to the Tau'ri Resistance. All we need is to establish an alliance with your people."

Daniel pretended to think the offer over. "Hmm... sorry. Thanks but no thanks. Even if I believed – which I don't – that you have Earth's interests in mind there is the small matter of you working alongside a Goa'uld. I don't know what he told you, but I hope you realize that he'll sell you out to Qetesh at the earliest convenience. You might care about breaking Qetesh's grip on the galaxy, yet a Goa'uld only cares about power. And what better way to win power and favor from the Supreme System Lord than to infiltrate and subvert the humans fighting against her?"

The alien sneered in indignation. " **You know not of what you speak, _slave._ Her hands are stained with my sire's blood just as much as Ba'al's. I shall not sully my dynasty by submitting to her rule!**"

"Gee, didn't take you for the sentimental type. Qetesh took out your boss and you aren't celebrating? And here I-"

The Goa'uld roared and rushed the archeologist with surprising speed. Before the others could react he had crossed the room and pushed a powerful fist into Daniel's stomach.

" **The right to kill Apophis and claim his throne was mine and mine alone!** " he yelled as Jackson doubled over and struggled for breath. " **It has been stolen from me. And now-** " the Goa'uld yanked the burlap sack off Daniel's head, forcing the bewildered archeologist to look up at the face of his long-dead brother-in-law. Skarra's eyes glowed from the white-hot rage of the symbiote within him.

" **\- I need you. I need you to avenge my father**." Khlorel growled.

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 **Author's Note : **so yes, in case you haven't figured it out for some reason, this is my take on "what if SG-1 wasn't able to reset the timeline at the end of _Continuum?"_

Chapter 1 was dedicated to "Tok'ra Kree! Round 10" Prompt-a-thon (specifically, the "I want to see more missions where the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra are forced to cooperate with the Goa'uld against a common enemy" prompt).

I hope to continue this as a series of ficlets - each new addition showcasing a different character, different viewpoint & exploring a new aspect of the dystopian setting.

Suggestions are welcome - feel free to tell me what characters/scenarios you would like to see in the future.

And big thanks goes out to Chris7221 for betaing the first chapter and the prologue.


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